I was reading the tribute to Albert Tijerina '65 and it mentioned his brother class of '67. Andy was a senior when I was a fish. His thing was always asking for fish matches. I don't know if that was Corps wide or a BQ thing, but we had to have them to light upperclassmen's cigarettes. Got me to wondering when that came to an end. Figured some of you mid to late seventies would know.

BQ_90 said:

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i know by fall of '86 smoking wasn't allowed in the dorms

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Nor in the fall '82. We still had fish matches... I think I still have some. S-2 '86

When I was a fish in 1975 this was around but very rare. By the time I graduated four years later, I think it was completely gone.

All the things from my time at A&M, I thought I'd never forget.

I did

My recollection is that we were told about fish matches. But I don't recall carrying them, and don't think anyone ever asked for them

It was rare to see anyone smoking at any time

Rabid Cougar said:

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BQ_90 said:

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i know by fall of '86 smoking wasn't allowed in the dorms

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Nor in the fall '82. We still had fish matches... I think I still have some. S-2 '86

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I don't know what Corps of Cadets you were in, but I am Class of 85 Company B-2 and there was smoking in Dorm 5. Had an upperclassman who lit up every morning after morning chow.

I hated fish matches btw.

Boomer#85 said:

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Rabid Cougar said:

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BQ_90 said:

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i know by fall of '86 smoking wasn't allowed in the dorms

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Nor in the fall '82. We still had fish matches... I think I still have some. S-2 '86

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I don't know what Corps of Cadets you were in, but I am Class of 85 Company B-2 and there was smoking in Dorm 5. Had an upperclassman who lit up every morning after morning chow.

I hated fish matches btw.

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Same one you were in. Never saw anyone smoke in the passageways. Now one or two in their holes????

When I was a pisshead in 1976, my ole lady and I smoked cigarettes one semester in our hole. We both gave it up. Only time in my life I was a regular smoker.

We had them in '76-'77. They were sort of like the pencil and the notecard that RVs had to have in their pillbox caps at drill -- no real function except to provide pushup fodder if you didn't have them.

IIRC, though -- it's been a while -- fish matches were ostensibly to be ignited when the lights went out at Kyle Field so that dateless fish could embarrass their upperclassmen who were smooching their dates.

I had fish matches in '93-'94.

Never heard of fish matches, but Dip fish was a thing in some outfits during my time.

We had fish matches '87.

'92 Fanatic 15. Had fish matches. Used to sneak fart-offs to the pissheads inside the match case and laugh about it after chow IF they didn't catch it. Bear crawled back to the dorm for crap out before morning class if they DID catch it.

I personally witnessed an '05 fish from E-1 who had a box of "fish matches" that he had to carry with him. Each wooden matchstick had tiny lettering on it.

Class of '72 had "Fish Matches."

Decades ago, we had to carry fish matches with four sides, and our outfit designation had to be printed on each side of each match.

They were often requested by butts and zips, whose privilege it was to smoke anywhere. Since 'heads could not smoke in the dorm halls and could not summon fish to their rooms by pounding on the wall, they were largely disinterested in them.

Also, the small matchbox had to be kept full.

It was a nuisance.

1961 fish: , when whipping out to an upperclassman, when asked for a match, we had to answer a question: "which end of box are the match heads facing? ".
50/50 chance...

We had 'em in '79. Seems like we had one match for every fish in the outfit. Of course as soon as an upper class man used one, match we were out of compliance and thus push-ups were due for that infraction.

Responding to a few posts above. It's been a LOT of years, but I recall we carried our age + 1 matches. All the heads were in same direction and I knew how they were laid in the box. When someone used a match, they'd give it back and would put it in the box the other direction. That way we always had the right number and would replace the used match with a new one when we got a chance.

One of our fish didn't have his matches at morning formation so his squad leader told might to "come by" before first call with 10 boxes of fish matches with "Ramblin' G Rogues" on all four sides of each match. We didn't want to …, you know our fish buddy, so all the fish were going to show up with him everyone with 10 boxes. So instead of studying during CQ, we were all working on our fish matches. Our Company CO happened to walk into the fish's hole next to him. He told us all to stop and get back to study and he'd take care of the p-head.

Can't remember what I had for breakfast but remember stuff like this from 58 years ago.